CHAPTER THREE
On Monday, Freddie decided that she really wanted to face King on her own terms and get it over with. She dressed in jeans and went in search of the man. She started by knocking on his door. When she didn't get an answer there, she looked in the kitchen, where she had found him the week before. When she didn't find him there, she searched for him in the motel. But no one had seen him and no one had any idea where he was. Disappointed, Freddie returned to her rooms.
As she stepped into her hallway, she was startled to see Leona coming out of King's suite, adjusting her shirt and patting her hair. Freddie couldn't help staring at the woman because she was so surprised to see her. Leona noticed Freddie and shot her a sugary smile. She said, "Why, Frankie, isn't it?"
Freddie just clinched her jaw and said between her teeth, "No, ma'am. It's Freddie."
Leona just waved her hand in the air, "Frankie, Freddie, they're all the same! It was just wonderful having you serve my friends the other night. Maybe we can arrange for you to work at the reception for King and I when the time comes! Well, ta-ta!"
Freddie unlocked her door and slammed it behind her. She really didn't like that woman.
With nothing else to do until her shift started, Freddie decided to go for a swim. The motel pool was indoors and heated. There was also a jacuzzi in the same area and lots of places to sit and chat with friends. Freddie wasn't really interested in talking to anyone, though. She just wanted to work off some frustration.
Freddie had been swimming laps for about ten minutes when she literally bumped into a body. She coughed and sputtered as she surfaced to see who she had hit. Standing in front of her was a guy she recognized from the bar. "Hi," he said quietly.
"Hi yourself. Did I hurt you?" Freddie asked.
The man just blushed and laughed a little, "No, you couldn't hurt me. You aren't big enough. My name is Hugh. I've seen you downstairs. I keep wanting to talk to you, but I hadn't worked up the nerve. Then when I saw you in here, I thought that I just had to take a chance. I couldn't come up with a good opening line, so I just decided to let you run into me. Sorry for breaking your stride."
Freddie smiled at the man. He was probably in his mid 30's. He wasn't too tall, and he had a stocky body. His smile was genuine and his eyes were kind. For a brief moment, Freddie was actually sorry that Hugh didn't set off the same fireworks that King did. Hugh was an attractive guy and seemed much more her type.
Realizing that she needed to say something to make the conversation move forward, Freddie said, "Honestly, I can't swim many more laps than I had already. You just gave me a good excuse to quit! Would you care to join me for a bottle of water in the jacuzzi?"
Hugh gave her a huge smile and said, "I'd love to." They got out of the pool and grabbed their water bottles. They settled into the jacuzzi, with Freddie being careful to sit across from Hugh, so he didn't get the wrong idea. She didn't mind making a new friend, but she really wasn't interested in anything more with anyone but King.
Freddie and Hugh stayed in the hot tub for about fifteen minutes, discussing where they were from and what they were doing in New York. Hugh was a network consultant for a big company out of Georgia. He was sent to New York for two weeks at a time, once every quarter. He had just started his second week at the job site. He enjoyed the work, but he got lonely in the evenings. Hence his visits to the bar. He liked to hang out and get to know the patrons and staff. It gave him a sense of belonging.
When the bubbles stopped, Freddie and Hugh got out of the jacuzzi. Freddie grabbed her towel and turned to face Hugh. "Thanks for taking the chance to talk to me," Freddie said, "I really enjoyed getting to know you better. I need to go get ready for work. Will I see you downstairs in a little while?" Hugh grinned and assured her that he would be there. She waved at him as she headed for the elevator. Hugh had done great things for her ego and she was feeling much better.
Freddie's good mood lasted until she got off the elevator on the tenth floor. King was just coming out of his rooms when she stepped into the hall. He saw her and grinned a happy grin. Freddie knew that Leona had left his rooms less than an hour ago. She figured his grin was a satisfied one as well as happy. She didn't speak as she turned toward her door.
King stopped her from closing her door by putting his foot in the opening. When she pulled the door back open and looked up at him, he said, "I'm not sure what is going on with you, but I am not too pleased with your sudden aversion to talking to me."
Freddie grimaced and said, "Look, King, I wanted to apologize to you all week-end, but I couldn't find you. I wasn't comfortable talking to you in front of my co-workers Friday night, and I'm not that comfortable talking to you in my bathing suit right now. And I'm really not comfortable knowing that you have seen me in even less. You didn't have to put me to bed, you know. I could have survived in the chair."
King's face broke into an unrepentant grin as he lifted one eyebrow at her, suggestively. In spite of herself, Freddie found that she was grinning back at him. Shaking her head in remorse at her inability to stay emotionally distant from King, she said, "I love my job, if that's what you want to know. I appreciate everything you have done for me. I just don't think that we should socialize too much. I don't run in the same circles that you do."
King shook his head, "I'm not even going to try to figure out what you are talking about. But I'm glad you like your job. You have gotten rave reviews from your co-workers. No one seems to have any complaints about you."
It was Freddie's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Not even Ms. White?" she asked.
King looked taken aback and said, "What are you talking about?"
Freddie just shook her head and said, "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Your lady friend just gets on my nerves, that's all."
Suddenly King's look became guarded. He shrugged his shoulders, then stepped out of her door. He said, "Well, you need to get ready for work and I need to get downstairs as well. I'm glad everything is going well for you. Let me know if you need anything."
Freddie closed her door and sighed. Sometimes she didn't know what to make of King. Why had it been so important to talk to her and then just abruptly end the conversation. Sometimes the man made no sense.
Freddie's second week at work went as well as her first. She was getting very comfortable with the routine and had managed to make friends with several of the other employees. Jake had given her a hard time on Monday night about cuddling up to the boss, but he had shut up when King had given him the evil eye from across the room. Freddie had seen Hugh every night and had even taken a couple of her breaks to talk to him. Things were going well.
Even Freddie's interactions with King were going smoothly. Not that there was much chance of many of those interactions. Leona had taken to coming into the restaurant every night. She would sit at the bar and sip her drink while watching King's every move. Freddie noticed that Jake seemed to be very interested in helping out in the bar area whenever Leona was present. Several of the other regulars took notice of her as well. Freddie wondered if King didn't mind his fiancee sitting at a bar. Maybe he liked that kind of woman.
At the end of her nearly perfect week, Hugh asked Freddie if she would go out with him to the movies on Saturday. His plane ticket required him to stay overnight on Saturday to get a better rate, so he wouldn't be leaving until Sunday. Since Freddie wouldn't be working on Saturday, she suggested that they get together for supper before and then catch the late movie. Hugh seemed thrilled with the idea and agreed to meet her in the lobby.
On Saturday morning, Freddie decided to go see some of New York. She was leaving her room when King came out of his rooms. He smiled at her and said, "We have to stop meeting like this." Freddie was thankful for his humor because it made her feel more comfortable around him. It was bad enough that her heart still did flip flops every time she saw him.
"Where are you headed?" King asked.
Freddie just shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I'll go for a walk or something. I really don't need anything from the stores, so maybe I'll just wander around and see the sights. You know, act like a tourist!"
King laughed along with her. Then he got serious. "Hey," he said, "Why don't you come with me? I have to meet some business partners in Manhattan for about 30 minutes, then we could go do the Statue of Liberty tour and maybe even the Empire State Building."
Freddie meant to say no. She really did mean to say no. But the thought of spending the day with King and getting to see some of the things she had always dreamed about visiting, was just too tempting. When she opened her mouth, she found herself saying, "Sounds great!" King just smiled widely and punched the elevator button.
King was true to his word. He kept his business meeting short and then became an expert tour guide for Freddie. They rode the ferry out to the Statue and wandered around the island. When they came back, they grabbed hotdogs and cokes from a street vendor and ate in the park. Afterwards, King waited in line with her for the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building. Freddie was awe struck by the view from the top, but she was more blown away by the intensity of her feelings for the man beside her. King was way more than a friend - he was everything she had ever dreamed of finding.
About 4:00, Freddie told King that she needed to get back to the motel. He asked her why and she explained that she had a date. King didn't look too happy, but he took her back anyway. Freddie suspected that he just didn't like somebody else making plans that affected him and she had cut his guided tour short.
After a quick shower and change of clothes, Freddie met Hugh in the lobby of the motel. She had worn one of her nicer dresses and she felt good about the way she looked. Hugh gave her a quick hug and put his hand on her back to guide her out of the building to begin their evening. Freddie smiled as she realized that she was out on a date with an attractive man - she only wished it were the right attractive man!
Freddie and Hugh enjoyed supper at an Italian diner close by and then headed to the theater. Hugh had mentioned seeing a movie, but he surprised Freddie by producing tickets to The Lion King on Broadway. She had never been to a Broadway show and was thrilled. But she also knew that such tickets didn't come cheap. She offered to pay for her own ticket, but Hugh assured her that he had gotten the tickets as a perk from his job. Freddie felt better about accepting the ticket then, so they headed to the show.
Hugh and Freddie had a great time at the show. Afterwards, they stopped by a local deli to grab a cup of coffee. It was after midnight when they got back to the motel and they both were exhausted.
Hugh joined Freddie in the elevator as they headed for their rooms. Hugh's room was on the fifteenth floor, so the elevator stopped on Freddie's floor first. As the doors to the elevator opened on her floor, Freddie turned to say good night to Hugh. She was surprised when he grabbed her in a tight hug and planted a wet kiss right on her lips. Before she could even react, Hugh had released her and she had automatically stepped backwards out of the elevator.
"Good night," Hugh said, with a huge smile on his face, "And thanks for one of the best nights of my life. I'll never forget this, Freddie. Maybe I'll see you next time I'm in town." Then the elevator doors shut and Freddie was left standing in her hall.
Freddie was still standing in front of the elevator doors, staring at them in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened, when she heard movement behind her. She turned and saw King sitting in a chair at the end of the hall. He was scowling at her like something was wrong. "King? What are you doing out here?" Freddie asked. She was mentally running through the list of all the possibilities, hoping she hadn't done anything wrong.
King pushed himself up out of the chair and walked toward her. When he was within touching distance, he said, "Do you know what time it is?" Freddie was so tired and King was so indignant looking with his hands on his hips and his face all scrunched up in a frown. Freddie tried to hold back, but she just couldn't. She burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that she was almost doubled over. King continued to stare at her, waiting for her to stop.
"Oh, King," Freddie gasp in between giggles, "Please, please stop looking at me that way. It's just making it harder for me to quit laughing." King didn't seem at all amused that Freddie found him so humorous. After several moments, Freddie managed to straighten her face long enough to look King in the eye. With her most serious expression, she said, "Have I missed curfew?" Then she howled with laughter again. She vaguely wondered if this was what it felt like to be hysterical. She couldn't seem to quit laughing.
Suddenly King grabbed Freddie and her lungs filled with air in a quick gasp. Before she knew what he intended, King was kissing her. Her mind, which moments before had been incoherent with laughter, suddenly cleared of everything except the feel of King's lips on hers.
Unlike Hugh's earlier kiss, King's kiss wasn't over in a flash. Also unlike Hugh's kiss, King's kiss was setting Freddie on fire. King traced the outline of her lips with his tongue as she gasped in his arms. He stroked the fullness of her lips only seconds before he plundered her mouth. Freddie met his attack and returned her own. They both seemed to be trying to taste as much of each other as possible in whatever amount of time they would have together.
Finally, King pulled away slightly and looked down into Freddie's face, his eyes resting on her swollen and bruised lips. He said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know how else to get you to stop laughing. I didn't mean to do that. I could really use a cup of coffee right about now. Do you have any?"
Freddie gave a quiet chuckle and pulled away to open her door. As she unlocked it, she turned to look over her shoulder at King. The moment was thick with tension and Freddie needed to lighten the situation. So, using her most teasing voice, she asked King, "Do you really want coffee or do you just want to sweet talk me into letting you into my room?"
King actually blushed before he answered. He said, "I really do want coffee."
"Good," Freddie laughed, "Because that's all I'm offering."
King went into the sitting room and threw himself on the couch, waiting for Freddie. She put the coffee on to brew and went to join him. For a moment, Freddie thought King had fallen asleep on her. He was sitting completely still with his eyes shut. But when she moved to sit down in the chair across from him, his hand shot out and pulled her onto the couch beside him. Startled, Freddie didn't even have time to protest before she was sitting beside King, their legs touching from hip to knee.
King said, "Don't even try to get away from me. We need to talk and we're going to do it now!" Freddie giggled at his attitude and King shot her a wary glance before he said, "Don't tell me you are going to start that again. I can't talk to a hyena." Before she even thought about it, Freddie stuck her tongue out at King.
Suddenly, the room tilted around her and Freddie found herself lying down on her couch with King on top of her. He said, "I told you the next time you stuck it out, I was going to catch it!" Then he was kissing her again, making good on his promise to get her tongue. This kiss was even more exciting to Freddie than the one in the hall had been. And she hadn't thought anything would ever be better than that.
King was holding her face with his hands and teasing her bottom lip with his teeth. Freddie moaned when she felt one of his hands begin to stroke down her neck. When King actually cupped her breast with his hand, she arched into him. She had never felt anything like this and she didn't want it to end.
When King lifted his head, Freddie wanted to pull him back to her. But when his lips began following the trail that his hands had made, she decided to let him do whatever he wanted to do. He obviously knew what he was doing and she really had no clue. It wasn't like she had never been kissed before, but the way King did it made it seem like a whole different art form from what she had experienced before. The only thing she was clear about was that King was driving her crazy and making her feel things she had never felt.
All too soon, King was sitting up and pulling her with him. He reached over and buttoned her shirt where it had come loose. Then he stood up and headed toward the kitchen. Over his shoulder, he said, "I think I could really use that coffee, now." Freddie was sitting on the couch, still somewhat dazed by King's kiss. She watched him go into her kitchen and heard him rummaging around. She assumed that he was looking for coffee cups. Freddie didn't offer to help, because she wasn't sure she was ready to be in the same room with King, yet. And his quick exit told her that he must be feeling the same way.
Several minutes had passed before King returned to the sitting room. He was carrying two cups of coffee. He handed one to Freddie, then took his own over and sat down in the chair. He took a sip of his coffee before sitting it down on the end table beside him. Freddie watched as he buried his face into his hands. After a moment, he ran his hands through his hair, then dropped them into his lap. Freddie didn't say anything - she simply waited.
It didn't take too long until King began talking. Without looking her in the face, again he said, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do that."
Freddie rolled her eyes and she teased, "Seems I've heard that before!" King looked up at her and she saw the confused look in his eyes. She continued, "King, it's ok. It's just a kiss. Well, actually now, it's two kisses. But it's not like I've never kissed anybody before." Freddie had meant to put King at ease, but her last comment seemed to have the opposite effect.
King suddenly jumped to his feet and started pacing around the room. Freddie watched him for a few moments before she said, "King? What's wrong?"
She was dumbfounded when King abruptly turned to face her and angrily said, "What's wrong? What's wrong? You just bring me in here and make out with me, right after you have been out with Hugh. And don't think I didn't see you snuggling up to him down in the lobby tonight when he came and got you. You don't even know who he is. Have you forgotten that you are in New York City? What if he had hurt you, or taken advantage of you? Any man with eyes in his head would have wanted you tonight, the way you look. But nobody knew where you were going. You didn't tell anyone what your plans were. If he had hurt you, we might have never found you again!"
Freddie was certain that her mouth was hanging open. She was in a state of confusion. She couldn't believe King was so upset because she had gone out on a date. And while her brain was trying to process that King thought she looked desirable, it was also registering that he thought she was incompetent. It only took a minute for her surprise to become indignant anger.
Freddie fumed back at King, saying, "Just who do you think you are? I didn't ask for you to sit up and wait for me. I can take care of myself. What if I sat up and waited for you every time you go out with Ms. White. Oh, don't tell me - that's different, because we all know who Ms. White is. How could we not know everything about her? She's here all the time. When she's not down at the bar scoping out your every move, she's up here in your room. Well, King, dump the double standard. I can go out with anyone I want to! And I can bring them up to my room, too!"
Freddie could feel her blood pressure rising to dangerous levels when a slow, wicked grin spread across King's face. "You're jealous! That's what's wrong with you. You just went out with Hugh to try to get back at me because you saw Leona coming out of my room the other day. She told me she had spoken to you over the week-end and that was when it was, wasn't it? Well for your information, I wasn't in the room with her. She needed to get some paperwork and I gave her the key. So there - I haven't had anyone in my room with me!"
"Well," Freddie said, still indignant, "Don't think that means that I can't. And I didn't go out with Hugh to spite you. He's a wonderful friend and I hope to see him again. And if you won't let me have friends up here, then I'll find another place to live!"
"Oh, no you won't!" King bellowed, "And I don't mind if they are friends, it's the other kind that I mind. I'm not running a bordello and I won't start now!"
"A bordello? A bordello? Have you lost your ever loving mind? Hugh didn't even get off the elevator - he didn't even ask if he could come in to give me a good night kiss. He just gave it to me on the elevator and then left, like a gentleman!" Freddie fumed.
"He kissed you?" King yelled.
Freddie just shook her head, and matched his tone, "Like that's not how a date is supposed to end? But, no, maybe you don't know that because Leona doesn't even wait until the end of your dates to drape herself all over you and start kissing you."
Again, that infuriating grin crossed King's face. Lowering his voice to a normal level, he said, "I'm glad you don't like it when she does that. Cause I sure don't like it when I think someone else might be doing it to you."
King turned away from Freddie and sat back down in the chair. He ran his fingers through his hair again and said, "Look, I'm really tired. I know I'm not on my best behavior. Tomorrow is Sunday. Come with me over to Ryan and Jessie's, ok?"
Freddie's adrenaline was still pumping from their argument and she wasn't sure she was following King's train of thought. She asked, "What? Why would I go over to their house?"
King face broke into a full smile as he said, "Cause Jessie can cook more things than I can. I've already fed you my one and only meal. If you come over to their house with me, I can feed you and you don't have to eat the same thing twice!"
Freddie listened to King's explanation as she sank down onto the couch. Every time King gave Freddie his full fledged smile, it melted her bones. She knew it was useless to try to resist his invitation. There wasn't any part of her that wanted to resist. She wished that she didn't want to go, but the truth was that she didn't want to be anywhere else in the world. Freddie just nodded her head in capitulation. Then she got up and walked to her door.
Freddie opened her door and gave King a pointed look. He caught the silent message and started to leave. When he reached the door, he looked down at her with a soft gleam in his eyes. Freddie knew she would never let him leave if he kissed her again, so she turned away from his gaze. King chuckled lightly, as though he knew what she was doing. He whispered, "I'll pick you up down in the lobby at 10:30, ok?" Freddie realized that meant that she would have to go to the early church service, but she didn't have any other plans, so she agreed. Then King unexpectedly reached down and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, Freddie," he said quietly, right before he disappeared down the hall.
CHAPTER FOUR
The next morning, Freddie got up early and got ready for church. The chapel that she had found was within walking distance, so Freddie added her flats to her outfit of a dark skirt and a blouse that had varying shades of red throughout it. She felt pretty in the clothes and she hoped that other people would agree. Of course, the one whose opinion mattered the most at that moment was asleep in the next set of rooms.
Freddie sighed and brushed out her brown hair. She had been letting it grow over the last few years and it had gotten to be a nice length around her shoulders. She liked the way it made her face look more balance with her wide blue eyes. Freddie didn't like much make-up, but she had long ago decided that she loved eye liner. So, with a few quick strokes of her eye pencil, she was ready to go.
When Freddie opened her door, she was startled to see King standing there with his hand in the air, as though he were getting ready to knock on her door. He looked surprised as well, and said, "Do you have ESP? Did you know I was about to knock?"
Freddie just laughed and asked, "What are you doing here? I thought we weren't supposed to meet until 10:30."
King looked Freddie up and down and replied, "So you just get up and bang around before a civilized hour and get all dressed up to go sit in the lobby and wait for three hours?"
Freddie's eyes widened, "I woke you up? I didn't know you could hear me in your room. I'm sorry."
King shook his head, and said, "Don't worry about it. Where are you going?"
Freddie looked down at her outfit and said, "I'm headed to church. And if you don't let me go soon, I'm going to be late."
King tilted his head to one side as he looked at her. Then he surprised her by saying, "Do you think I'm dressed well enough to go with you?"
Freddie's smile couldn't have gotten any bigger. If King had been dressed in a clown outfit, she would have told him that he liked great. But, as it was, he was dressed in khakis and a button down blue shirt. He looked perfect for church.
Freddie's eyes were dancing as she said, "You want to go with me? Really?"
King just turned and extended his arm to her in a gentlemanly fashion and said, "Lead on, oh great wise woman."
The walk to the chapel only took about ten minutes, but Freddie truly enjoyed each second. King was constantly pointing out sights or sounds that made New York special. Freddie was finding that she loved the place. But that feeling couldn't compare to the feeling that was growing inside her heart for King. She knew that what she felt for King was a forever kind of love. And that thought made her somewhat sad.
As soon as they entered the chapel, King led her down the aisle to a pew near the front. Freddie noticed that several people nodded to King and two of the children waved. King smiled at everyone. After they were seated, Freddie wanted to ask him why everyone was being so friendly. But before she had the chance, though, King blew a kiss to the little girl who was watching him from the other end of the pew where they were sitting. Freddie was shocked when the little girl, who was about four, jumped up and ran down the pew and threw herself into King's arms.
Freddie watched in amazement as King sat the girl onto his lap and kissed her forehead. The child's mother just smiled indulgently at King. King looked at Freddie over the child's head, but the preacher chose that moment to enter the pulpit, ending the opportunity for Freddie to ask what was going on.
Thankfully, the 8:00 service was an abbreviated one, with a few familiar hymns, the scripture readings and a sermon. Freddie wasn't sure she could take a much longer service right now as her mind was spinning with questions about King and this child. The little girl, who was sitting quietly in King's lap, had bright red hair and big, dark eyes. It was not too difficult looking in her face to see the resemblance that she bore to King. Freddie couldn't wait to hear King's explanation of this one!
When the service was over, the woman who had been sitting on the other end of the pew began making her way toward King. As soon as she was with touching range, the little girl jumped into her arms and said, "Mama, King let me sit with him. And I sat with him the whole service. And I was a good little girl. Did you see me mama? I did good didn't I mama? King didn't even have to tell me to be quiet once, did you King?"
The woman laughed and said, "Honey, don't you think you ought to let King get a word in edgewise? He has a friend with him, and I would like to meet her."
Freddie and King had moved out into the center aisle, so the four of them were facing each other. Freddie noticed that the other two children who had been sitting with the woman, both of whom seemed to be in their early teens, had joined some youth at the far end of the pew. But right now, Freddie's primary attention was focused on this woman - she was most interested in hearing about her and her relationship to King.
King said, "Maria, I would like for you to meet Freddie. She's a friend of mine from over at the motel. She is from North Carolina."
As Freddie looked somewhat bewildered at King, Maria gave Freddie a warm smile and asked, "So has the man thought to tell you who we are?"
Freddie shook her head no while she took the hand that Maria was holding out to her. "King, why don't you do the honors?" asked Maria.
King cleared his voice and took on a formal air. "Freddie Sommers, I would like to introduce you to Maria Solomon, my elderly, wise, stepmother."
When Maria pulled her hand from Freddie's grasp to playfully hit King on the arm, Freddie decided that she liked this woman. Maria turned back to Freddie, "I may be his step mom, but I still think I should have turned him over my knee a few more times!"
King laughed, "Like you could have tried! I was already this size when you finally brought me into the brood. I can't help it that you're too old and feeble to catch up with a fast young man like myself. You can flail your walking cane at me all you want as I help you settle into the retirement center!"
Freddie laughed at the affectionate banter between King and his step mother. Maria looked to be in her early forties and was a very attractive woman. King turned to Freddie and said, "Dad and Maria thought that they had enough kids between the two of them when they had Ryan, from dad's first marriage and then the twins." King nodded his head over to the boy and girl that Freddie had seen sitting with Maria. King continued, "But, lo and behold, along came our little surprise Cassie." King chucked his little sister under the chin as the girl suddenly tried to act shy. Then King said, "And, if that wasn't enough, two years later, I showed up. So now they have a huge family! And I'm lucky enough to be a part of it."
Maria rolled her eyes and said, "Such sweet words from such a wayward son! Why don't you ever come see us? We miss you. And I can't tell you how glad we all were to see you in church. Your dad would have been thrilled - I can't wait to tell him. He'll be home tonight. Come see us. And, Freddie, you come too. We have a big enough house for an army and we would love to have you."
Freddie made appropriate appreciative sounds and followed King's lead as he finished visiting with his family. They made their way past the preacher who grabbed King in a bear hug and clapped him on the back, saying, "The prodigal has returned! Don't take so long before I see your face back in here again. I know where you live, boy and I'll come track you down." To Freddie, the minister said, "Thank you for bringing him home!" Freddie didn't know quiet what to say to that so she just smiled. The preacher then reiterated his promise to track King down if he didn't return. King just laughed at the good natured threat and guided Freddie down the steps back onto the sidewalk.
Freddie said, "King, how many times are you going to pull these tricks on me? Couldn't you have told me that we were going to the church where your entire family goes? I wouldn't have been so surprised that everyone knew you then."
King grinned down at her, and said, "I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Anyway, I wasn't sure Maria was going to be there. It takes a lot of effort to get that crew up and ready by 8:00. Without dad in town to help her, I was surprised to see her there."
Freddie rolled her eyes and asked , "And what's up with the preacher? Is he some other long lost relative?"
King said, "Yeah, he's Maria's brother and he has taken me in as his nephew. The whole family has adopted me."
Freddie shook her head and shrugged her shoulders as if admitting defeat. King noticed her actions and reached for her hand. "Look, since we have already been to church, why don't we go on over to Ryan and Jesse's?"
Freddie looked down at her clothes and said, "I'd like to change first."
King followed her gaze and replied, "You can change the skirt, but I don't want you to take off the shirt." Freddie cocked her head to the side, giving him a questioning look.
King looked a little sheepish as he answered her unspoken question, "I like it. It makes you look like a wild rose - all full of sunshine and summer breezes."
Freddie raised her eyebrows and said, "Well, I guess that's alright." Then she smiled and continued, "I know it's alright. I love wildflowers of all kinds, but I especially love wild roses."
When King said, "So do I," Freddie thought her heart might stop.
After a quick change into jeans and tennis shoes, King and Freddie took the pick up truck over to Ryan and Jesse's. Freddie loved their house as soon as she saw it. She had been afraid that their house would be very expensive and formal. And although Freddie had enjoyed getting to know Jessica and Ryan at the restaurant, she was afraid that she wouldn't fit in with them in their home. But the house was simple and comfortable and Ryan and Jessica put her at ease. Within minutes, Ryan had drug King off to see some new piece of stereo equipment and Jessica and Freddie were in the kitchen cutting up salad ingredients.
Jessica smiled over at Freddie and said, "So how are you and King handling things at the motel?"
Freddie was confused by the question, but decided to do her best at answering it. She said, "We - we're fine. . ."
Jessica laughed and said, "Whew. I was worried that the other employees might be jealous and give you a hard time."
Now Freddie was totally confused. She had no idea what Jessica was talking about and said, "I'm sorry Jessica. Have I missed something? Why would the other employees be jealous?"
Jessica shot her a quizzical look and said, "Well, wouldn't you find it hard to work with someone who was dating the boss?"
Freddie slowly said, "Dating . . . the . . . boss . . . Oh, NO! Jessica, King and I aren't dating!"
Jessica gave Freddie an incredulous look and said, "Well what do you call it? Going out exclusively with one another while making yourselves look like love sick fools in front of every body else?"
Freddie practically yelled, "No! That's not what we are doing. How can you even think that?" Lowering her voice, Freddie continued, "Anyway, King is dating Leona White. Every one knows that."
Jessica made a sound that resembled a snort and said, "That woman was nothing but trouble. I certainly wasn't upset when King gave her the walking papers last week. I thought he was never going to get rid of her!"
It was Freddie's turn to look incredulous. She said, "What are you talking about? I thought she and King . . . "
Jessica shook her head and said, "Leave it to King to not tell you what was going on - trust me, King wouldn't bring you out on a date if he was still seeing another woman. King's a one woman man, and I think he's finally found his woman."
The men chose that moment to enter the kitchen, giving Freddie the perfect excuse to end her conversation with Jessica. Throughout their meal and the afternoon socializing, Freddie kept going over what Jessica had said. Could she possibly be right? Was Leona really out of the picture? Freddie didn't know what to think.
About 4:00 in the afternoon, King announced that he and Freddie needed to be going. Freddie had no idea why they needed to leave, but she didn't want to make an issue out of it, at least not in front of King's family. When King and Freddie started out the door, Freddie was surprised that Ryan and Jessica both hugged her good bye. It was almost as if she were part of the family. Freddie realized that she really liked that feeling.
When they were back in the pick up, Freddie asked King where they were going. King grinned and said, "Trust me." Freddie rolled her eyes at him, but he just kept grinning. Then he turned on the radio and 80's music filled the truck. Freddie found herself joining King singing the lyrics to songs from her teen years. It was fun and King didn't even seem to mind that she was tone deaf. Sometimes he was just too good to be true.
Finally, King parked the truck in the Platinum Parking deck on 48th St. "King, where are we going?" Freddie asked again.
King just smiled and said, "I hope you're hungry!" Actually, Freddie was getting hungry. They had had an early lunch with Ryan and Jessie and it had consisted of salad and soup. It had tasted delicious, but it had been several hours ago. Freddie was definitely ready for supper.
King took Freddie's hand and they began walking. As usual, King told Freddie all about the district that they were walking through. Freddie joked that he could work part time as a tour guide and King just laughed at her.
When King pulled her to a stop, they were outside a restaurant. "Where's this?" Freddie asked.
King said, "This - this is City Lobster! You can't do New York without at least eating here once. It's the best."
Once again, King had been right. The food was incredible and the service was impeccable. They started by sharing a shrimp cocktail, then Freddie had Maryland crabcakes, while King had their Sunday special 2 pound lobster. The sides of onion ribbons and wild mushrooms were perfect accompaniments. She and King both tasted each others food and shared King's drink from the bar. With all of their interactions, Freddie noticed that they were joking and flirting rather comfortably with one another However, it wasn't until dessert that she felt the tension truly escalate.
For dessert, King ordered a slice of Key Lime pie. He very specifically told the waitress to only bring one fork. Freddie was a little hurt, unsure if King was trying to tell her it was time for her to stop eating. But when the pie arrived, she realized what King had in mind. He definitely planned on her having some pie, but he was going to feed it to her! With each bite the sparks grew hotter. King carefully cut and placed each bite on the fork, then gently teased her into opening her mouth, only to sit and stare at her lips as she swallowed each piece. When she licked her lips to catch an escaped crumb, King actually moaned out loud. Then he motioned for the check.
When they stepped back outside, the evening air was pleasant and cool. It offered a nice contrast to the heat rushing through Freddie's body. When King suggested that they leave the truck in the parking garage and walk back to the motel, Freddie breathed a sigh of relief. King explained that he would pick it up on Monday when he came down to a meeting nearby. Freddie didn't really care what his plans were for the truck, she was just thankful for the chance to calm down and try to not make a fool out of herself.
Freddie and King strolled down the sidewalks, watching the late day sun fade and the street lights take over the sky. New York was never quiet and the sites and sounds fascinated Freddie. But her attention was torn tonight between her growing love of New York and the sizzling tension of the attraction between her and King. The evening had been beautiful, and Freddie could only wonder what the rest of the night would bring.
When they got back to the motel, Freddie and King both headed for the elevators. Although Freddie would normally have stopped by the bar and said hello to her co-workers, at that moment, she was much more interested in being alone with King.
As soon as the doors shut behind them, King grabbed her into his arms. He looked down at her and said, "God, I've wanted to do this all day." Then he was kissing her. Her mouth opened willingly to King, and Freddie had a brief insight that this was the man she would always want. When the elevator stopped on their floor, they were still wrapped in each other's arms, kissing passionately. King guided Freddie over to her door and used his master key to unlock it. Then, still kissing her, he drew her inside of her rooms.
Freddie had thought that maybe King would stop at her couch, but he led her straight to her bedroom. He swept her up into his arms and placed her on the bed. At that moment, she realized that he must have carried her to bed the night she had fallen to sleep on him. She started to make a comment about being too heavy for him to pick up and carry. But the look in King's eyes stopped her. It was obvious from that look that he wasn't thinking about how much she weighed right then.
No man had ever looked at Freddie like King was looking at her. She had never dated too much and she had no experience in the field of intimacy beyond a few stolen kisses at the front door. But no one had ever made her feel so much desire, so much need, or so much love.
King laid down on the bed beside her and rose up over her before he started kissing her again. His hand found her breast and his thumb brushed across her nipple. She still had on her bra and it was made out of a silky material. The combination of the sensations caused by his thumb and the material were electrifying for Freddie. Her whole body arched up into him. King just chuckled softly and kissed his way down her neck.
Freddie was on fire as King worked her shirt up over her head, baring her upper body to his gaze. Freddie heard him murmur, "My beautiful wild rose," as he continued to kiss and caress her. Suddenly, Freddie needed to touch King's skin. She frantically tore at the buttons on the shirt he was wearing. King moved his hands to help her and they quickly disposed of it. Then King snapped the front closure on her bra and her breasts tumbled out of the cloth. King hissed in breath as he reached out to touch first one breast, then the other. He ran his fingers across the heated flesh and licked his lips as Freddie's nipples responded to his touch.
Pulling her on top of him, King gently kneaded her breasts and watched her moan in passion. Then King reached lower and began caressing her stomach. Freddie watched his face for any hint of repulsion or disgust, but all she saw was heat and lust. Then, he unsnapped her jeans.
There was only a brief moment of hesitation on Freddie's part before she rolled off of King and slipped off her shoes and then her jeans. She lay beside King in only her red satin panties. "I knew you were fire and passion beneath that sweet exterior," King whispered. Freddie was too caught up in her emotions to be able to speak, so she just nodded. Then she reached out to touch King's jeans button.
Pulling her up with him, King knelt facing Freddie on the bed. Freddie was not exactly sure how to unbutton someone else's pants, so she fumbled for a moment with the snap. When her hand accidentally slipped down and brushed King's erection through his jeans, she heard him growl. She looked at him with confusion in her eyes. "Did I hurt you?" she asked.
King just nodded his head and said, "You are killing me!" Only then did Freddie realize that the pain he was referring to was pleasure.
Freddie suddenly felt empowered as a woman as she comprehended the extent of her abilities to pleasure her man. King wasn't turned off by her body. In fact, if his physical response was any indicator, he found her body very appealing. As her fingers grew more certain, she began teasing King through his jeans as she continued to loosen his snap and zipper. As soon as they were loose enough to push over his hips, King threw them onto the floor. Now, the only article of clothing that he had left was his briefs. And they were straining to hold him.
With King's warm hands on her shoulders, as gently as possible, Freddie leaned down and placed a butterfly kiss on the bulge in King's briefs. She felt the tension growing in King's body as he ran his hands through her hair and encouraged her with the sounds of his delight. Freddie grew bolder. She placed her hands on his hips and pulled down his briefs in one swift move. King jumped off the bed and slipped them all of the way off, then he reached over and pulled Freddie to the edge of the bed. She was still kneeling and the arrangement did away with their height difference. Freddie was looking King directly in the eye. And the look she saw there was pure desire.
With a guttural moan, King pulled Freddie into a deep kiss. Freddie felt his erection pressing into her soft panties and she realized that she didn't want any more barriers between them. She quickly laid down and slipped the silky things off. Before she could sit back up, though, King jumped on the bed beside her. He started at her neck and began kissing every inch of her flesh. He stroked her skin and licked her ticklish spots while planting hot kisses on the folds of her skin that had never been touched by any one else.
When King placed his hand between her legs and nudged them apart, Freddie felt a moment of apprehension. King sensed her reluctance and pulled his head up to look at her. His brow was knit into a frown as he asked, "Freddie? Are you a virgin?" Freddie could feel the blush steal up her neck and face, but she refused to look away. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She had always wanted to save herself for the man she loved and she had done just that.
Mustering as much pride as she could, she nodded her head and said, "Yes, King."
King looked amazed, then said, "And you're sure you want to do this? You don't want me to stop?"
Freddie shook her head violently, saying, "No! You are the one I want to share this with, King. Please don't stop."
King just shook his head as though he were still shocked, then he looked her in the eye. He said, "Freddie, I can't tell you how much this means to me. I'll do everything I can to make this good for you. Tell me if there is anything you want me to stop doing and I'll quit. I don't want to hurt you."
Tears welled up in Freddie's eyes and she whispered, "King, I know you would never hurt me on purpose, but please, I need you to love me. Make love to me, King." And with that, all conversation ended.
King took a moment to grab a condom. After he was sheathed, the only sounds in the room were the sounds of love making as King kissed and stroked Freddie to a state of uncontrollable passion. Then, with the sweetest of kisses, King sent her over the edge. In the moments following her climax, King entered Freddie as swiftly as possible. Freddie had expected pain, but was surprised that it passed quickly and was replaced by her remounting passion. "King, don't stop!" King laughed quietly and matched her movements. It only took moments until Freddie was crying out her second orgasm. King joined her this time as they came together. Afterwards, they snuggled together down into the comforter and fell asleep.
When Freddie woke up the next morning, she was surprised to find that King was gone. She was even more shocked to realize it was after 10:00. There was a note on King's pillow that told her he had to get to his meeting downtown. It also said that, unfortunately, he would be busy most of the day. But, the note ended, he really wanted to see her tonight. As a 'P.S.' he had added that he needed to tell her something important.
Freddie smiled and stretched, basking in the morning after glow of their lovemaking. She and King had made love twice more during the night. Each time had been different with Freddie experiencing both raw, hot lust, as well as slow, deliberate passion. King was a talented lover and he showed her things about her body she had never known. Freddie felt so lucky to have fallen in love with such a wonderful man.
After her shower, Freddie was just finishing a bowl of cereal when her phone rang. When she answered, the caller said, "Freddie? This is Joanna, down at the front desk. We have a delivery for you down here. I have a master key so I could bring it up, but I'm really kinda busy - could you come pick it up?" Freddie assured her that she would be down in a few minutes. She slipped on her jeans and a red tee shirt along with her tennis shoes. Then she headed downstairs, all the while, wondering what it could be.
When she got to the front desk, Joanna shot Freddie a very smug grin. Leona White was standing at the desk, as well. Joanna was ignoring Leona. Making a motion for Freddie to give her a minute, Joanna stepped behind a door. When Joanna returned, she was carrying a huge bouquet of wild red roses. Freddie's eyes popped open at the sight. Joanna was grinning like a cheshire cat. She sat the bouquet on the counter and said, "You must have made an impression on somebody!"
Freddie's hand was shaking as she reached for the card. She opened it and silently read it to herself. It said, "To my wild rose - what a night!" Freddie could feel the heat burn her cheeks as she blushed. She couldn't even bring herself to meet Joanna's eyes. With an abrupt nod, Freddie grabbed the bouquet and mumbled a brief thanks to Joanna before hurrying to the elevator.
Back in her room, Freddie put the flowers into water. She felt like she was floating on air. Maybe the flowers meant that last night had been as special to King as it had been to her. Maybe the something important that he needed to tell her tonight was that he loved her. Her mind was racing with all the possibilities that life suddenly seemed to have.
Freddie was singing to herself and cleaning up her kitchen when she heard someone knock on her door. Hoping that it was King, she rushed to open the door. But standing on the other side was none other than Leona. Freddie's smile froze in place as she said, "Oh, hello Leona."
Freddie had no intention of inviting Leona in, but Leona stepped forward and managed to push her way past Freddie. She breezed into the sitting room before speaking to Freddie. "Well, well, my dear Frankie, you do seem to have made yourself right at home."
Freddie closed the door and stepped into the room. She said, "Leona, my name is Freddie."
Leona just shot Freddie a wide eyed innocent look before sitting herself delicately onto the edge of the couch. Leona was a tall woman and willowy thin. Her short, platinum blond hair was cut into a very fashionable "shock" style, that gave her a 'just got out of bed' look, even in the middle of the day. Her make-up was perfect and her teeth were so white, they almost didn't look real. With her strapless dress on, Freddie noticed that Leona didn't have any bathing suit marks on her smoothly tanned shoulders. She doubted that she had any marks elsewhere either. Leona looked like a model, and sitting on Freddie's couch, she looked like a model on a mission.
Leona looked directly at Freddie and said, "We need to talk. You have become an embarrassment here. King was willing to extend his hospitality to you and allow you to stay here and work here. He does have a big heart. But you have truly overstayed your welcome. The staff have begun to talk and I just won't have it. King and I are to be married."
At the sound of Freddie's quiet gasp, Leona raised her eyebrow questioningly. She continued, "Don't tell me you didn't know that? Did you think he would get rid of me for a country dumpling like you? Look at the two of us - I will be the one who helps King establish himself in the business world. You are nothing but a detriment. You are already causing problems. Do you think that you can hide how you feel about King? Everyone can see it and realize how pathetic it is. You have made a complete fool out of yourself. And King doesn't know how to tell you. So, woman to woman, I wanted to come and break the news to you. You are way out of line and King wants you to leave. He doesn't want to embarrass me by announcing our engagement while you are practically living in his rooms. So you need to go - get away from my man."
Freddie was struggling to comprehend all that Leona was telling her. King loved Leona? Then what was the important thing he needed to tell her? Freddie's heart sank as she realized that he was probably going to tell her about marrying Leona. How could she have been so stupid? To think that she had anything that could compete with what Leona had to offer was simply being blind to reality.
Freddie realized that Leona was carefully watching her. She also knew, from years of experience, that every one of her emotions was showing on her face. Freddie forced herself to put on a calm expression and to keep her voice steady. She said, "Leona, you have made your point. Please leave." Then she walked to the door and held it open.
Leona gave Freddie a scathing look as she slipped past her. As a parting shot, Leona added, "Don't forget what I said, Freddie. King might have had sex with you, but he never told you he loved you. And he never will. Sex with you is just a novel experience - what's it like to poke the fat chick?"
As soon as the words were out of Leona's mouth, Freddie slammed the door in Leona's face. As she slumped against her side of the door, Freddie heard Leona get on the elevator. Then the tears seemed to burst from her body. She could not believe that she had been so stupid. She had believed that she meant something to King. But Leona was right. Freddie had only known King for two weeks. How much could he care about her in that short of a time?
With humiliation coursing through her veins, Freddie quickly packed her suitcase. There weren't too many things that belonged to her here. Through her tears, she gave a derisive laugh. It was ironic that she wasn't taking much with her, but she was leaving behind everything that mattered to her. King would always have her heart. She just needed to get the rest of her out of the picture so he could get on with his life.
Freddie phoned the bus station and got the information for buses headed out of town. She wasn't sure where she was going. But she needed time to sort out her thoughts. And she couldn't sort them out here. Freddie knew that she couldn't leave without any explanation to King, though. She just wasn't that kind of person. So she wrote him a note.
When she got off of the elevator, she saw Joanna's eyes widen in shock as she saw the suitcases that Freddie was carrying. Sounding concerned, Joanna said, "Freddie? Where are you going?"
Freddie had washed her face, but she knew that her eyes were still puffy and red. She was certain that Joanna noticed. But she just couldn't explain. Instead, she handed Joanna the key to her rooms and the note she had written to King. Trying to control her voice, Freddie said, "I have to go now, Joanna. Thanks for everything." Then, not trusting herself to not burst into tears, Freddie grabbed her suitcases and her bouquet of roses and headed out the door of the motel.
Yeah, it was definitely a typical Monday.
On Monday, Freddie decided that she really wanted to face King on her own terms and get it over with. She dressed in jeans and went in search of the man. She started by knocking on his door. When she didn't get an answer there, she looked in the kitchen, where she had found him the week before. When she didn't find him there, she searched for him in the motel. But no one had seen him and no one had any idea where he was. Disappointed, Freddie returned to her rooms.
As she stepped into her hallway, she was startled to see Leona coming out of King's suite, adjusting her shirt and patting her hair. Freddie couldn't help staring at the woman because she was so surprised to see her. Leona noticed Freddie and shot her a sugary smile. She said, "Why, Frankie, isn't it?"
Freddie just clinched her jaw and said between her teeth, "No, ma'am. It's Freddie."
Leona just waved her hand in the air, "Frankie, Freddie, they're all the same! It was just wonderful having you serve my friends the other night. Maybe we can arrange for you to work at the reception for King and I when the time comes! Well, ta-ta!"
Freddie unlocked her door and slammed it behind her. She really didn't like that woman.
With nothing else to do until her shift started, Freddie decided to go for a swim. The motel pool was indoors and heated. There was also a jacuzzi in the same area and lots of places to sit and chat with friends. Freddie wasn't really interested in talking to anyone, though. She just wanted to work off some frustration.
Freddie had been swimming laps for about ten minutes when she literally bumped into a body. She coughed and sputtered as she surfaced to see who she had hit. Standing in front of her was a guy she recognized from the bar. "Hi," he said quietly.
"Hi yourself. Did I hurt you?" Freddie asked.
The man just blushed and laughed a little, "No, you couldn't hurt me. You aren't big enough. My name is Hugh. I've seen you downstairs. I keep wanting to talk to you, but I hadn't worked up the nerve. Then when I saw you in here, I thought that I just had to take a chance. I couldn't come up with a good opening line, so I just decided to let you run into me. Sorry for breaking your stride."
Freddie smiled at the man. He was probably in his mid 30's. He wasn't too tall, and he had a stocky body. His smile was genuine and his eyes were kind. For a brief moment, Freddie was actually sorry that Hugh didn't set off the same fireworks that King did. Hugh was an attractive guy and seemed much more her type.
Realizing that she needed to say something to make the conversation move forward, Freddie said, "Honestly, I can't swim many more laps than I had already. You just gave me a good excuse to quit! Would you care to join me for a bottle of water in the jacuzzi?"
Hugh gave her a huge smile and said, "I'd love to." They got out of the pool and grabbed their water bottles. They settled into the jacuzzi, with Freddie being careful to sit across from Hugh, so he didn't get the wrong idea. She didn't mind making a new friend, but she really wasn't interested in anything more with anyone but King.
Freddie and Hugh stayed in the hot tub for about fifteen minutes, discussing where they were from and what they were doing in New York. Hugh was a network consultant for a big company out of Georgia. He was sent to New York for two weeks at a time, once every quarter. He had just started his second week at the job site. He enjoyed the work, but he got lonely in the evenings. Hence his visits to the bar. He liked to hang out and get to know the patrons and staff. It gave him a sense of belonging.
When the bubbles stopped, Freddie and Hugh got out of the jacuzzi. Freddie grabbed her towel and turned to face Hugh. "Thanks for taking the chance to talk to me," Freddie said, "I really enjoyed getting to know you better. I need to go get ready for work. Will I see you downstairs in a little while?" Hugh grinned and assured her that he would be there. She waved at him as she headed for the elevator. Hugh had done great things for her ego and she was feeling much better.
Freddie's good mood lasted until she got off the elevator on the tenth floor. King was just coming out of his rooms when she stepped into the hall. He saw her and grinned a happy grin. Freddie knew that Leona had left his rooms less than an hour ago. She figured his grin was a satisfied one as well as happy. She didn't speak as she turned toward her door.
King stopped her from closing her door by putting his foot in the opening. When she pulled the door back open and looked up at him, he said, "I'm not sure what is going on with you, but I am not too pleased with your sudden aversion to talking to me."
Freddie grimaced and said, "Look, King, I wanted to apologize to you all week-end, but I couldn't find you. I wasn't comfortable talking to you in front of my co-workers Friday night, and I'm not that comfortable talking to you in my bathing suit right now. And I'm really not comfortable knowing that you have seen me in even less. You didn't have to put me to bed, you know. I could have survived in the chair."
King's face broke into an unrepentant grin as he lifted one eyebrow at her, suggestively. In spite of herself, Freddie found that she was grinning back at him. Shaking her head in remorse at her inability to stay emotionally distant from King, she said, "I love my job, if that's what you want to know. I appreciate everything you have done for me. I just don't think that we should socialize too much. I don't run in the same circles that you do."
King shook his head, "I'm not even going to try to figure out what you are talking about. But I'm glad you like your job. You have gotten rave reviews from your co-workers. No one seems to have any complaints about you."
It was Freddie's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Not even Ms. White?" she asked.
King looked taken aback and said, "What are you talking about?"
Freddie just shook her head and said, "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Your lady friend just gets on my nerves, that's all."
Suddenly King's look became guarded. He shrugged his shoulders, then stepped out of her door. He said, "Well, you need to get ready for work and I need to get downstairs as well. I'm glad everything is going well for you. Let me know if you need anything."
Freddie closed her door and sighed. Sometimes she didn't know what to make of King. Why had it been so important to talk to her and then just abruptly end the conversation. Sometimes the man made no sense.
Freddie's second week at work went as well as her first. She was getting very comfortable with the routine and had managed to make friends with several of the other employees. Jake had given her a hard time on Monday night about cuddling up to the boss, but he had shut up when King had given him the evil eye from across the room. Freddie had seen Hugh every night and had even taken a couple of her breaks to talk to him. Things were going well.
Even Freddie's interactions with King were going smoothly. Not that there was much chance of many of those interactions. Leona had taken to coming into the restaurant every night. She would sit at the bar and sip her drink while watching King's every move. Freddie noticed that Jake seemed to be very interested in helping out in the bar area whenever Leona was present. Several of the other regulars took notice of her as well. Freddie wondered if King didn't mind his fiancee sitting at a bar. Maybe he liked that kind of woman.
At the end of her nearly perfect week, Hugh asked Freddie if she would go out with him to the movies on Saturday. His plane ticket required him to stay overnight on Saturday to get a better rate, so he wouldn't be leaving until Sunday. Since Freddie wouldn't be working on Saturday, she suggested that they get together for supper before and then catch the late movie. Hugh seemed thrilled with the idea and agreed to meet her in the lobby.
On Saturday morning, Freddie decided to go see some of New York. She was leaving her room when King came out of his rooms. He smiled at her and said, "We have to stop meeting like this." Freddie was thankful for his humor because it made her feel more comfortable around him. It was bad enough that her heart still did flip flops every time she saw him.
"Where are you headed?" King asked.
Freddie just shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I'll go for a walk or something. I really don't need anything from the stores, so maybe I'll just wander around and see the sights. You know, act like a tourist!"
King laughed along with her. Then he got serious. "Hey," he said, "Why don't you come with me? I have to meet some business partners in Manhattan for about 30 minutes, then we could go do the Statue of Liberty tour and maybe even the Empire State Building."
Freddie meant to say no. She really did mean to say no. But the thought of spending the day with King and getting to see some of the things she had always dreamed about visiting, was just too tempting. When she opened her mouth, she found herself saying, "Sounds great!" King just smiled widely and punched the elevator button.
King was true to his word. He kept his business meeting short and then became an expert tour guide for Freddie. They rode the ferry out to the Statue and wandered around the island. When they came back, they grabbed hotdogs and cokes from a street vendor and ate in the park. Afterwards, King waited in line with her for the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building. Freddie was awe struck by the view from the top, but she was more blown away by the intensity of her feelings for the man beside her. King was way more than a friend - he was everything she had ever dreamed of finding.
About 4:00, Freddie told King that she needed to get back to the motel. He asked her why and she explained that she had a date. King didn't look too happy, but he took her back anyway. Freddie suspected that he just didn't like somebody else making plans that affected him and she had cut his guided tour short.
After a quick shower and change of clothes, Freddie met Hugh in the lobby of the motel. She had worn one of her nicer dresses and she felt good about the way she looked. Hugh gave her a quick hug and put his hand on her back to guide her out of the building to begin their evening. Freddie smiled as she realized that she was out on a date with an attractive man - she only wished it were the right attractive man!
Freddie and Hugh enjoyed supper at an Italian diner close by and then headed to the theater. Hugh had mentioned seeing a movie, but he surprised Freddie by producing tickets to The Lion King on Broadway. She had never been to a Broadway show and was thrilled. But she also knew that such tickets didn't come cheap. She offered to pay for her own ticket, but Hugh assured her that he had gotten the tickets as a perk from his job. Freddie felt better about accepting the ticket then, so they headed to the show.
Hugh and Freddie had a great time at the show. Afterwards, they stopped by a local deli to grab a cup of coffee. It was after midnight when they got back to the motel and they both were exhausted.
Hugh joined Freddie in the elevator as they headed for their rooms. Hugh's room was on the fifteenth floor, so the elevator stopped on Freddie's floor first. As the doors to the elevator opened on her floor, Freddie turned to say good night to Hugh. She was surprised when he grabbed her in a tight hug and planted a wet kiss right on her lips. Before she could even react, Hugh had released her and she had automatically stepped backwards out of the elevator.
"Good night," Hugh said, with a huge smile on his face, "And thanks for one of the best nights of my life. I'll never forget this, Freddie. Maybe I'll see you next time I'm in town." Then the elevator doors shut and Freddie was left standing in her hall.
Freddie was still standing in front of the elevator doors, staring at them in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened, when she heard movement behind her. She turned and saw King sitting in a chair at the end of the hall. He was scowling at her like something was wrong. "King? What are you doing out here?" Freddie asked. She was mentally running through the list of all the possibilities, hoping she hadn't done anything wrong.
King pushed himself up out of the chair and walked toward her. When he was within touching distance, he said, "Do you know what time it is?" Freddie was so tired and King was so indignant looking with his hands on his hips and his face all scrunched up in a frown. Freddie tried to hold back, but she just couldn't. She burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that she was almost doubled over. King continued to stare at her, waiting for her to stop.
"Oh, King," Freddie gasp in between giggles, "Please, please stop looking at me that way. It's just making it harder for me to quit laughing." King didn't seem at all amused that Freddie found him so humorous. After several moments, Freddie managed to straighten her face long enough to look King in the eye. With her most serious expression, she said, "Have I missed curfew?" Then she howled with laughter again. She vaguely wondered if this was what it felt like to be hysterical. She couldn't seem to quit laughing.
Suddenly King grabbed Freddie and her lungs filled with air in a quick gasp. Before she knew what he intended, King was kissing her. Her mind, which moments before had been incoherent with laughter, suddenly cleared of everything except the feel of King's lips on hers.
Unlike Hugh's earlier kiss, King's kiss wasn't over in a flash. Also unlike Hugh's kiss, King's kiss was setting Freddie on fire. King traced the outline of her lips with his tongue as she gasped in his arms. He stroked the fullness of her lips only seconds before he plundered her mouth. Freddie met his attack and returned her own. They both seemed to be trying to taste as much of each other as possible in whatever amount of time they would have together.
Finally, King pulled away slightly and looked down into Freddie's face, his eyes resting on her swollen and bruised lips. He said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know how else to get you to stop laughing. I didn't mean to do that. I could really use a cup of coffee right about now. Do you have any?"
Freddie gave a quiet chuckle and pulled away to open her door. As she unlocked it, she turned to look over her shoulder at King. The moment was thick with tension and Freddie needed to lighten the situation. So, using her most teasing voice, she asked King, "Do you really want coffee or do you just want to sweet talk me into letting you into my room?"
King actually blushed before he answered. He said, "I really do want coffee."
"Good," Freddie laughed, "Because that's all I'm offering."
King went into the sitting room and threw himself on the couch, waiting for Freddie. She put the coffee on to brew and went to join him. For a moment, Freddie thought King had fallen asleep on her. He was sitting completely still with his eyes shut. But when she moved to sit down in the chair across from him, his hand shot out and pulled her onto the couch beside him. Startled, Freddie didn't even have time to protest before she was sitting beside King, their legs touching from hip to knee.
King said, "Don't even try to get away from me. We need to talk and we're going to do it now!" Freddie giggled at his attitude and King shot her a wary glance before he said, "Don't tell me you are going to start that again. I can't talk to a hyena." Before she even thought about it, Freddie stuck her tongue out at King.
Suddenly, the room tilted around her and Freddie found herself lying down on her couch with King on top of her. He said, "I told you the next time you stuck it out, I was going to catch it!" Then he was kissing her again, making good on his promise to get her tongue. This kiss was even more exciting to Freddie than the one in the hall had been. And she hadn't thought anything would ever be better than that.
King was holding her face with his hands and teasing her bottom lip with his teeth. Freddie moaned when she felt one of his hands begin to stroke down her neck. When King actually cupped her breast with his hand, she arched into him. She had never felt anything like this and she didn't want it to end.
When King lifted his head, Freddie wanted to pull him back to her. But when his lips began following the trail that his hands had made, she decided to let him do whatever he wanted to do. He obviously knew what he was doing and she really had no clue. It wasn't like she had never been kissed before, but the way King did it made it seem like a whole different art form from what she had experienced before. The only thing she was clear about was that King was driving her crazy and making her feel things she had never felt.
All too soon, King was sitting up and pulling her with him. He reached over and buttoned her shirt where it had come loose. Then he stood up and headed toward the kitchen. Over his shoulder, he said, "I think I could really use that coffee, now." Freddie was sitting on the couch, still somewhat dazed by King's kiss. She watched him go into her kitchen and heard him rummaging around. She assumed that he was looking for coffee cups. Freddie didn't offer to help, because she wasn't sure she was ready to be in the same room with King, yet. And his quick exit told her that he must be feeling the same way.
Several minutes had passed before King returned to the sitting room. He was carrying two cups of coffee. He handed one to Freddie, then took his own over and sat down in the chair. He took a sip of his coffee before sitting it down on the end table beside him. Freddie watched as he buried his face into his hands. After a moment, he ran his hands through his hair, then dropped them into his lap. Freddie didn't say anything - she simply waited.
It didn't take too long until King began talking. Without looking her in the face, again he said, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do that."
Freddie rolled her eyes and she teased, "Seems I've heard that before!" King looked up at her and she saw the confused look in his eyes. She continued, "King, it's ok. It's just a kiss. Well, actually now, it's two kisses. But it's not like I've never kissed anybody before." Freddie had meant to put King at ease, but her last comment seemed to have the opposite effect.
King suddenly jumped to his feet and started pacing around the room. Freddie watched him for a few moments before she said, "King? What's wrong?"
She was dumbfounded when King abruptly turned to face her and angrily said, "What's wrong? What's wrong? You just bring me in here and make out with me, right after you have been out with Hugh. And don't think I didn't see you snuggling up to him down in the lobby tonight when he came and got you. You don't even know who he is. Have you forgotten that you are in New York City? What if he had hurt you, or taken advantage of you? Any man with eyes in his head would have wanted you tonight, the way you look. But nobody knew where you were going. You didn't tell anyone what your plans were. If he had hurt you, we might have never found you again!"
Freddie was certain that her mouth was hanging open. She was in a state of confusion. She couldn't believe King was so upset because she had gone out on a date. And while her brain was trying to process that King thought she looked desirable, it was also registering that he thought she was incompetent. It only took a minute for her surprise to become indignant anger.
Freddie fumed back at King, saying, "Just who do you think you are? I didn't ask for you to sit up and wait for me. I can take care of myself. What if I sat up and waited for you every time you go out with Ms. White. Oh, don't tell me - that's different, because we all know who Ms. White is. How could we not know everything about her? She's here all the time. When she's not down at the bar scoping out your every move, she's up here in your room. Well, King, dump the double standard. I can go out with anyone I want to! And I can bring them up to my room, too!"
Freddie could feel her blood pressure rising to dangerous levels when a slow, wicked grin spread across King's face. "You're jealous! That's what's wrong with you. You just went out with Hugh to try to get back at me because you saw Leona coming out of my room the other day. She told me she had spoken to you over the week-end and that was when it was, wasn't it? Well for your information, I wasn't in the room with her. She needed to get some paperwork and I gave her the key. So there - I haven't had anyone in my room with me!"
"Well," Freddie said, still indignant, "Don't think that means that I can't. And I didn't go out with Hugh to spite you. He's a wonderful friend and I hope to see him again. And if you won't let me have friends up here, then I'll find another place to live!"
"Oh, no you won't!" King bellowed, "And I don't mind if they are friends, it's the other kind that I mind. I'm not running a bordello and I won't start now!"
"A bordello? A bordello? Have you lost your ever loving mind? Hugh didn't even get off the elevator - he didn't even ask if he could come in to give me a good night kiss. He just gave it to me on the elevator and then left, like a gentleman!" Freddie fumed.
"He kissed you?" King yelled.
Freddie just shook her head, and matched his tone, "Like that's not how a date is supposed to end? But, no, maybe you don't know that because Leona doesn't even wait until the end of your dates to drape herself all over you and start kissing you."
Again, that infuriating grin crossed King's face. Lowering his voice to a normal level, he said, "I'm glad you don't like it when she does that. Cause I sure don't like it when I think someone else might be doing it to you."
King turned away from Freddie and sat back down in the chair. He ran his fingers through his hair again and said, "Look, I'm really tired. I know I'm not on my best behavior. Tomorrow is Sunday. Come with me over to Ryan and Jessie's, ok?"
Freddie's adrenaline was still pumping from their argument and she wasn't sure she was following King's train of thought. She asked, "What? Why would I go over to their house?"
King face broke into a full smile as he said, "Cause Jessie can cook more things than I can. I've already fed you my one and only meal. If you come over to their house with me, I can feed you and you don't have to eat the same thing twice!"
Freddie listened to King's explanation as she sank down onto the couch. Every time King gave Freddie his full fledged smile, it melted her bones. She knew it was useless to try to resist his invitation. There wasn't any part of her that wanted to resist. She wished that she didn't want to go, but the truth was that she didn't want to be anywhere else in the world. Freddie just nodded her head in capitulation. Then she got up and walked to her door.
Freddie opened her door and gave King a pointed look. He caught the silent message and started to leave. When he reached the door, he looked down at her with a soft gleam in his eyes. Freddie knew she would never let him leave if he kissed her again, so she turned away from his gaze. King chuckled lightly, as though he knew what she was doing. He whispered, "I'll pick you up down in the lobby at 10:30, ok?" Freddie realized that meant that she would have to go to the early church service, but she didn't have any other plans, so she agreed. Then King unexpectedly reached down and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, Freddie," he said quietly, right before he disappeared down the hall.
CHAPTER FOUR
The next morning, Freddie got up early and got ready for church. The chapel that she had found was within walking distance, so Freddie added her flats to her outfit of a dark skirt and a blouse that had varying shades of red throughout it. She felt pretty in the clothes and she hoped that other people would agree. Of course, the one whose opinion mattered the most at that moment was asleep in the next set of rooms.
Freddie sighed and brushed out her brown hair. She had been letting it grow over the last few years and it had gotten to be a nice length around her shoulders. She liked the way it made her face look more balance with her wide blue eyes. Freddie didn't like much make-up, but she had long ago decided that she loved eye liner. So, with a few quick strokes of her eye pencil, she was ready to go.
When Freddie opened her door, she was startled to see King standing there with his hand in the air, as though he were getting ready to knock on her door. He looked surprised as well, and said, "Do you have ESP? Did you know I was about to knock?"
Freddie just laughed and asked, "What are you doing here? I thought we weren't supposed to meet until 10:30."
King looked Freddie up and down and replied, "So you just get up and bang around before a civilized hour and get all dressed up to go sit in the lobby and wait for three hours?"
Freddie's eyes widened, "I woke you up? I didn't know you could hear me in your room. I'm sorry."
King shook his head, and said, "Don't worry about it. Where are you going?"
Freddie looked down at her outfit and said, "I'm headed to church. And if you don't let me go soon, I'm going to be late."
King tilted his head to one side as he looked at her. Then he surprised her by saying, "Do you think I'm dressed well enough to go with you?"
Freddie's smile couldn't have gotten any bigger. If King had been dressed in a clown outfit, she would have told him that he liked great. But, as it was, he was dressed in khakis and a button down blue shirt. He looked perfect for church.
Freddie's eyes were dancing as she said, "You want to go with me? Really?"
King just turned and extended his arm to her in a gentlemanly fashion and said, "Lead on, oh great wise woman."
The walk to the chapel only took about ten minutes, but Freddie truly enjoyed each second. King was constantly pointing out sights or sounds that made New York special. Freddie was finding that she loved the place. But that feeling couldn't compare to the feeling that was growing inside her heart for King. She knew that what she felt for King was a forever kind of love. And that thought made her somewhat sad.
As soon as they entered the chapel, King led her down the aisle to a pew near the front. Freddie noticed that several people nodded to King and two of the children waved. King smiled at everyone. After they were seated, Freddie wanted to ask him why everyone was being so friendly. But before she had the chance, though, King blew a kiss to the little girl who was watching him from the other end of the pew where they were sitting. Freddie was shocked when the little girl, who was about four, jumped up and ran down the pew and threw herself into King's arms.
Freddie watched in amazement as King sat the girl onto his lap and kissed her forehead. The child's mother just smiled indulgently at King. King looked at Freddie over the child's head, but the preacher chose that moment to enter the pulpit, ending the opportunity for Freddie to ask what was going on.
Thankfully, the 8:00 service was an abbreviated one, with a few familiar hymns, the scripture readings and a sermon. Freddie wasn't sure she could take a much longer service right now as her mind was spinning with questions about King and this child. The little girl, who was sitting quietly in King's lap, had bright red hair and big, dark eyes. It was not too difficult looking in her face to see the resemblance that she bore to King. Freddie couldn't wait to hear King's explanation of this one!
When the service was over, the woman who had been sitting on the other end of the pew began making her way toward King. As soon as she was with touching range, the little girl jumped into her arms and said, "Mama, King let me sit with him. And I sat with him the whole service. And I was a good little girl. Did you see me mama? I did good didn't I mama? King didn't even have to tell me to be quiet once, did you King?"
The woman laughed and said, "Honey, don't you think you ought to let King get a word in edgewise? He has a friend with him, and I would like to meet her."
Freddie and King had moved out into the center aisle, so the four of them were facing each other. Freddie noticed that the other two children who had been sitting with the woman, both of whom seemed to be in their early teens, had joined some youth at the far end of the pew. But right now, Freddie's primary attention was focused on this woman - she was most interested in hearing about her and her relationship to King.
King said, "Maria, I would like for you to meet Freddie. She's a friend of mine from over at the motel. She is from North Carolina."
As Freddie looked somewhat bewildered at King, Maria gave Freddie a warm smile and asked, "So has the man thought to tell you who we are?"
Freddie shook her head no while she took the hand that Maria was holding out to her. "King, why don't you do the honors?" asked Maria.
King cleared his voice and took on a formal air. "Freddie Sommers, I would like to introduce you to Maria Solomon, my elderly, wise, stepmother."
When Maria pulled her hand from Freddie's grasp to playfully hit King on the arm, Freddie decided that she liked this woman. Maria turned back to Freddie, "I may be his step mom, but I still think I should have turned him over my knee a few more times!"
King laughed, "Like you could have tried! I was already this size when you finally brought me into the brood. I can't help it that you're too old and feeble to catch up with a fast young man like myself. You can flail your walking cane at me all you want as I help you settle into the retirement center!"
Freddie laughed at the affectionate banter between King and his step mother. Maria looked to be in her early forties and was a very attractive woman. King turned to Freddie and said, "Dad and Maria thought that they had enough kids between the two of them when they had Ryan, from dad's first marriage and then the twins." King nodded his head over to the boy and girl that Freddie had seen sitting with Maria. King continued, "But, lo and behold, along came our little surprise Cassie." King chucked his little sister under the chin as the girl suddenly tried to act shy. Then King said, "And, if that wasn't enough, two years later, I showed up. So now they have a huge family! And I'm lucky enough to be a part of it."
Maria rolled her eyes and said, "Such sweet words from such a wayward son! Why don't you ever come see us? We miss you. And I can't tell you how glad we all were to see you in church. Your dad would have been thrilled - I can't wait to tell him. He'll be home tonight. Come see us. And, Freddie, you come too. We have a big enough house for an army and we would love to have you."
Freddie made appropriate appreciative sounds and followed King's lead as he finished visiting with his family. They made their way past the preacher who grabbed King in a bear hug and clapped him on the back, saying, "The prodigal has returned! Don't take so long before I see your face back in here again. I know where you live, boy and I'll come track you down." To Freddie, the minister said, "Thank you for bringing him home!" Freddie didn't know quiet what to say to that so she just smiled. The preacher then reiterated his promise to track King down if he didn't return. King just laughed at the good natured threat and guided Freddie down the steps back onto the sidewalk.
Freddie said, "King, how many times are you going to pull these tricks on me? Couldn't you have told me that we were going to the church where your entire family goes? I wouldn't have been so surprised that everyone knew you then."
King grinned down at her, and said, "I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Anyway, I wasn't sure Maria was going to be there. It takes a lot of effort to get that crew up and ready by 8:00. Without dad in town to help her, I was surprised to see her there."
Freddie rolled her eyes and asked , "And what's up with the preacher? Is he some other long lost relative?"
King said, "Yeah, he's Maria's brother and he has taken me in as his nephew. The whole family has adopted me."
Freddie shook her head and shrugged her shoulders as if admitting defeat. King noticed her actions and reached for her hand. "Look, since we have already been to church, why don't we go on over to Ryan and Jesse's?"
Freddie looked down at her clothes and said, "I'd like to change first."
King followed her gaze and replied, "You can change the skirt, but I don't want you to take off the shirt." Freddie cocked her head to the side, giving him a questioning look.
King looked a little sheepish as he answered her unspoken question, "I like it. It makes you look like a wild rose - all full of sunshine and summer breezes."
Freddie raised her eyebrows and said, "Well, I guess that's alright." Then she smiled and continued, "I know it's alright. I love wildflowers of all kinds, but I especially love wild roses."
When King said, "So do I," Freddie thought her heart might stop.
After a quick change into jeans and tennis shoes, King and Freddie took the pick up truck over to Ryan and Jesse's. Freddie loved their house as soon as she saw it. She had been afraid that their house would be very expensive and formal. And although Freddie had enjoyed getting to know Jessica and Ryan at the restaurant, she was afraid that she wouldn't fit in with them in their home. But the house was simple and comfortable and Ryan and Jessica put her at ease. Within minutes, Ryan had drug King off to see some new piece of stereo equipment and Jessica and Freddie were in the kitchen cutting up salad ingredients.
Jessica smiled over at Freddie and said, "So how are you and King handling things at the motel?"
Freddie was confused by the question, but decided to do her best at answering it. She said, "We - we're fine. . ."
Jessica laughed and said, "Whew. I was worried that the other employees might be jealous and give you a hard time."
Now Freddie was totally confused. She had no idea what Jessica was talking about and said, "I'm sorry Jessica. Have I missed something? Why would the other employees be jealous?"
Jessica shot her a quizzical look and said, "Well, wouldn't you find it hard to work with someone who was dating the boss?"
Freddie slowly said, "Dating . . . the . . . boss . . . Oh, NO! Jessica, King and I aren't dating!"
Jessica gave Freddie an incredulous look and said, "Well what do you call it? Going out exclusively with one another while making yourselves look like love sick fools in front of every body else?"
Freddie practically yelled, "No! That's not what we are doing. How can you even think that?" Lowering her voice, Freddie continued, "Anyway, King is dating Leona White. Every one knows that."
Jessica made a sound that resembled a snort and said, "That woman was nothing but trouble. I certainly wasn't upset when King gave her the walking papers last week. I thought he was never going to get rid of her!"
It was Freddie's turn to look incredulous. She said, "What are you talking about? I thought she and King . . . "
Jessica shook her head and said, "Leave it to King to not tell you what was going on - trust me, King wouldn't bring you out on a date if he was still seeing another woman. King's a one woman man, and I think he's finally found his woman."
The men chose that moment to enter the kitchen, giving Freddie the perfect excuse to end her conversation with Jessica. Throughout their meal and the afternoon socializing, Freddie kept going over what Jessica had said. Could she possibly be right? Was Leona really out of the picture? Freddie didn't know what to think.
About 4:00 in the afternoon, King announced that he and Freddie needed to be going. Freddie had no idea why they needed to leave, but she didn't want to make an issue out of it, at least not in front of King's family. When King and Freddie started out the door, Freddie was surprised that Ryan and Jessica both hugged her good bye. It was almost as if she were part of the family. Freddie realized that she really liked that feeling.
When they were back in the pick up, Freddie asked King where they were going. King grinned and said, "Trust me." Freddie rolled her eyes at him, but he just kept grinning. Then he turned on the radio and 80's music filled the truck. Freddie found herself joining King singing the lyrics to songs from her teen years. It was fun and King didn't even seem to mind that she was tone deaf. Sometimes he was just too good to be true.
Finally, King parked the truck in the Platinum Parking deck on 48th St. "King, where are we going?" Freddie asked again.
King just smiled and said, "I hope you're hungry!" Actually, Freddie was getting hungry. They had had an early lunch with Ryan and Jessie and it had consisted of salad and soup. It had tasted delicious, but it had been several hours ago. Freddie was definitely ready for supper.
King took Freddie's hand and they began walking. As usual, King told Freddie all about the district that they were walking through. Freddie joked that he could work part time as a tour guide and King just laughed at her.
When King pulled her to a stop, they were outside a restaurant. "Where's this?" Freddie asked.
King said, "This - this is City Lobster! You can't do New York without at least eating here once. It's the best."
Once again, King had been right. The food was incredible and the service was impeccable. They started by sharing a shrimp cocktail, then Freddie had Maryland crabcakes, while King had their Sunday special 2 pound lobster. The sides of onion ribbons and wild mushrooms were perfect accompaniments. She and King both tasted each others food and shared King's drink from the bar. With all of their interactions, Freddie noticed that they were joking and flirting rather comfortably with one another However, it wasn't until dessert that she felt the tension truly escalate.
For dessert, King ordered a slice of Key Lime pie. He very specifically told the waitress to only bring one fork. Freddie was a little hurt, unsure if King was trying to tell her it was time for her to stop eating. But when the pie arrived, she realized what King had in mind. He definitely planned on her having some pie, but he was going to feed it to her! With each bite the sparks grew hotter. King carefully cut and placed each bite on the fork, then gently teased her into opening her mouth, only to sit and stare at her lips as she swallowed each piece. When she licked her lips to catch an escaped crumb, King actually moaned out loud. Then he motioned for the check.
When they stepped back outside, the evening air was pleasant and cool. It offered a nice contrast to the heat rushing through Freddie's body. When King suggested that they leave the truck in the parking garage and walk back to the motel, Freddie breathed a sigh of relief. King explained that he would pick it up on Monday when he came down to a meeting nearby. Freddie didn't really care what his plans were for the truck, she was just thankful for the chance to calm down and try to not make a fool out of herself.
Freddie and King strolled down the sidewalks, watching the late day sun fade and the street lights take over the sky. New York was never quiet and the sites and sounds fascinated Freddie. But her attention was torn tonight between her growing love of New York and the sizzling tension of the attraction between her and King. The evening had been beautiful, and Freddie could only wonder what the rest of the night would bring.
When they got back to the motel, Freddie and King both headed for the elevators. Although Freddie would normally have stopped by the bar and said hello to her co-workers, at that moment, she was much more interested in being alone with King.
As soon as the doors shut behind them, King grabbed her into his arms. He looked down at her and said, "God, I've wanted to do this all day." Then he was kissing her. Her mouth opened willingly to King, and Freddie had a brief insight that this was the man she would always want. When the elevator stopped on their floor, they were still wrapped in each other's arms, kissing passionately. King guided Freddie over to her door and used his master key to unlock it. Then, still kissing her, he drew her inside of her rooms.
Freddie had thought that maybe King would stop at her couch, but he led her straight to her bedroom. He swept her up into his arms and placed her on the bed. At that moment, she realized that he must have carried her to bed the night she had fallen to sleep on him. She started to make a comment about being too heavy for him to pick up and carry. But the look in King's eyes stopped her. It was obvious from that look that he wasn't thinking about how much she weighed right then.
No man had ever looked at Freddie like King was looking at her. She had never dated too much and she had no experience in the field of intimacy beyond a few stolen kisses at the front door. But no one had ever made her feel so much desire, so much need, or so much love.
King laid down on the bed beside her and rose up over her before he started kissing her again. His hand found her breast and his thumb brushed across her nipple. She still had on her bra and it was made out of a silky material. The combination of the sensations caused by his thumb and the material were electrifying for Freddie. Her whole body arched up into him. King just chuckled softly and kissed his way down her neck.
Freddie was on fire as King worked her shirt up over her head, baring her upper body to his gaze. Freddie heard him murmur, "My beautiful wild rose," as he continued to kiss and caress her. Suddenly, Freddie needed to touch King's skin. She frantically tore at the buttons on the shirt he was wearing. King moved his hands to help her and they quickly disposed of it. Then King snapped the front closure on her bra and her breasts tumbled out of the cloth. King hissed in breath as he reached out to touch first one breast, then the other. He ran his fingers across the heated flesh and licked his lips as Freddie's nipples responded to his touch.
Pulling her on top of him, King gently kneaded her breasts and watched her moan in passion. Then King reached lower and began caressing her stomach. Freddie watched his face for any hint of repulsion or disgust, but all she saw was heat and lust. Then, he unsnapped her jeans.
There was only a brief moment of hesitation on Freddie's part before she rolled off of King and slipped off her shoes and then her jeans. She lay beside King in only her red satin panties. "I knew you were fire and passion beneath that sweet exterior," King whispered. Freddie was too caught up in her emotions to be able to speak, so she just nodded. Then she reached out to touch King's jeans button.
Pulling her up with him, King knelt facing Freddie on the bed. Freddie was not exactly sure how to unbutton someone else's pants, so she fumbled for a moment with the snap. When her hand accidentally slipped down and brushed King's erection through his jeans, she heard him growl. She looked at him with confusion in her eyes. "Did I hurt you?" she asked.
King just nodded his head and said, "You are killing me!" Only then did Freddie realize that the pain he was referring to was pleasure.
Freddie suddenly felt empowered as a woman as she comprehended the extent of her abilities to pleasure her man. King wasn't turned off by her body. In fact, if his physical response was any indicator, he found her body very appealing. As her fingers grew more certain, she began teasing King through his jeans as she continued to loosen his snap and zipper. As soon as they were loose enough to push over his hips, King threw them onto the floor. Now, the only article of clothing that he had left was his briefs. And they were straining to hold him.
With King's warm hands on her shoulders, as gently as possible, Freddie leaned down and placed a butterfly kiss on the bulge in King's briefs. She felt the tension growing in King's body as he ran his hands through her hair and encouraged her with the sounds of his delight. Freddie grew bolder. She placed her hands on his hips and pulled down his briefs in one swift move. King jumped off the bed and slipped them all of the way off, then he reached over and pulled Freddie to the edge of the bed. She was still kneeling and the arrangement did away with their height difference. Freddie was looking King directly in the eye. And the look she saw there was pure desire.
With a guttural moan, King pulled Freddie into a deep kiss. Freddie felt his erection pressing into her soft panties and she realized that she didn't want any more barriers between them. She quickly laid down and slipped the silky things off. Before she could sit back up, though, King jumped on the bed beside her. He started at her neck and began kissing every inch of her flesh. He stroked her skin and licked her ticklish spots while planting hot kisses on the folds of her skin that had never been touched by any one else.
When King placed his hand between her legs and nudged them apart, Freddie felt a moment of apprehension. King sensed her reluctance and pulled his head up to look at her. His brow was knit into a frown as he asked, "Freddie? Are you a virgin?" Freddie could feel the blush steal up her neck and face, but she refused to look away. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She had always wanted to save herself for the man she loved and she had done just that.
Mustering as much pride as she could, she nodded her head and said, "Yes, King."
King looked amazed, then said, "And you're sure you want to do this? You don't want me to stop?"
Freddie shook her head violently, saying, "No! You are the one I want to share this with, King. Please don't stop."
King just shook his head as though he were still shocked, then he looked her in the eye. He said, "Freddie, I can't tell you how much this means to me. I'll do everything I can to make this good for you. Tell me if there is anything you want me to stop doing and I'll quit. I don't want to hurt you."
Tears welled up in Freddie's eyes and she whispered, "King, I know you would never hurt me on purpose, but please, I need you to love me. Make love to me, King." And with that, all conversation ended.
King took a moment to grab a condom. After he was sheathed, the only sounds in the room were the sounds of love making as King kissed and stroked Freddie to a state of uncontrollable passion. Then, with the sweetest of kisses, King sent her over the edge. In the moments following her climax, King entered Freddie as swiftly as possible. Freddie had expected pain, but was surprised that it passed quickly and was replaced by her remounting passion. "King, don't stop!" King laughed quietly and matched her movements. It only took moments until Freddie was crying out her second orgasm. King joined her this time as they came together. Afterwards, they snuggled together down into the comforter and fell asleep.
When Freddie woke up the next morning, she was surprised to find that King was gone. She was even more shocked to realize it was after 10:00. There was a note on King's pillow that told her he had to get to his meeting downtown. It also said that, unfortunately, he would be busy most of the day. But, the note ended, he really wanted to see her tonight. As a 'P.S.' he had added that he needed to tell her something important.
Freddie smiled and stretched, basking in the morning after glow of their lovemaking. She and King had made love twice more during the night. Each time had been different with Freddie experiencing both raw, hot lust, as well as slow, deliberate passion. King was a talented lover and he showed her things about her body she had never known. Freddie felt so lucky to have fallen in love with such a wonderful man.
After her shower, Freddie was just finishing a bowl of cereal when her phone rang. When she answered, the caller said, "Freddie? This is Joanna, down at the front desk. We have a delivery for you down here. I have a master key so I could bring it up, but I'm really kinda busy - could you come pick it up?" Freddie assured her that she would be down in a few minutes. She slipped on her jeans and a red tee shirt along with her tennis shoes. Then she headed downstairs, all the while, wondering what it could be.
When she got to the front desk, Joanna shot Freddie a very smug grin. Leona White was standing at the desk, as well. Joanna was ignoring Leona. Making a motion for Freddie to give her a minute, Joanna stepped behind a door. When Joanna returned, she was carrying a huge bouquet of wild red roses. Freddie's eyes popped open at the sight. Joanna was grinning like a cheshire cat. She sat the bouquet on the counter and said, "You must have made an impression on somebody!"
Freddie's hand was shaking as she reached for the card. She opened it and silently read it to herself. It said, "To my wild rose - what a night!" Freddie could feel the heat burn her cheeks as she blushed. She couldn't even bring herself to meet Joanna's eyes. With an abrupt nod, Freddie grabbed the bouquet and mumbled a brief thanks to Joanna before hurrying to the elevator.
Back in her room, Freddie put the flowers into water. She felt like she was floating on air. Maybe the flowers meant that last night had been as special to King as it had been to her. Maybe the something important that he needed to tell her tonight was that he loved her. Her mind was racing with all the possibilities that life suddenly seemed to have.
Freddie was singing to herself and cleaning up her kitchen when she heard someone knock on her door. Hoping that it was King, she rushed to open the door. But standing on the other side was none other than Leona. Freddie's smile froze in place as she said, "Oh, hello Leona."
Freddie had no intention of inviting Leona in, but Leona stepped forward and managed to push her way past Freddie. She breezed into the sitting room before speaking to Freddie. "Well, well, my dear Frankie, you do seem to have made yourself right at home."
Freddie closed the door and stepped into the room. She said, "Leona, my name is Freddie."
Leona just shot Freddie a wide eyed innocent look before sitting herself delicately onto the edge of the couch. Leona was a tall woman and willowy thin. Her short, platinum blond hair was cut into a very fashionable "shock" style, that gave her a 'just got out of bed' look, even in the middle of the day. Her make-up was perfect and her teeth were so white, they almost didn't look real. With her strapless dress on, Freddie noticed that Leona didn't have any bathing suit marks on her smoothly tanned shoulders. She doubted that she had any marks elsewhere either. Leona looked like a model, and sitting on Freddie's couch, she looked like a model on a mission.
Leona looked directly at Freddie and said, "We need to talk. You have become an embarrassment here. King was willing to extend his hospitality to you and allow you to stay here and work here. He does have a big heart. But you have truly overstayed your welcome. The staff have begun to talk and I just won't have it. King and I are to be married."
At the sound of Freddie's quiet gasp, Leona raised her eyebrow questioningly. She continued, "Don't tell me you didn't know that? Did you think he would get rid of me for a country dumpling like you? Look at the two of us - I will be the one who helps King establish himself in the business world. You are nothing but a detriment. You are already causing problems. Do you think that you can hide how you feel about King? Everyone can see it and realize how pathetic it is. You have made a complete fool out of yourself. And King doesn't know how to tell you. So, woman to woman, I wanted to come and break the news to you. You are way out of line and King wants you to leave. He doesn't want to embarrass me by announcing our engagement while you are practically living in his rooms. So you need to go - get away from my man."
Freddie was struggling to comprehend all that Leona was telling her. King loved Leona? Then what was the important thing he needed to tell her? Freddie's heart sank as she realized that he was probably going to tell her about marrying Leona. How could she have been so stupid? To think that she had anything that could compete with what Leona had to offer was simply being blind to reality.
Freddie realized that Leona was carefully watching her. She also knew, from years of experience, that every one of her emotions was showing on her face. Freddie forced herself to put on a calm expression and to keep her voice steady. She said, "Leona, you have made your point. Please leave." Then she walked to the door and held it open.
Leona gave Freddie a scathing look as she slipped past her. As a parting shot, Leona added, "Don't forget what I said, Freddie. King might have had sex with you, but he never told you he loved you. And he never will. Sex with you is just a novel experience - what's it like to poke the fat chick?"
As soon as the words were out of Leona's mouth, Freddie slammed the door in Leona's face. As she slumped against her side of the door, Freddie heard Leona get on the elevator. Then the tears seemed to burst from her body. She could not believe that she had been so stupid. She had believed that she meant something to King. But Leona was right. Freddie had only known King for two weeks. How much could he care about her in that short of a time?
With humiliation coursing through her veins, Freddie quickly packed her suitcase. There weren't too many things that belonged to her here. Through her tears, she gave a derisive laugh. It was ironic that she wasn't taking much with her, but she was leaving behind everything that mattered to her. King would always have her heart. She just needed to get the rest of her out of the picture so he could get on with his life.
Freddie phoned the bus station and got the information for buses headed out of town. She wasn't sure where she was going. But she needed time to sort out her thoughts. And she couldn't sort them out here. Freddie knew that she couldn't leave without any explanation to King, though. She just wasn't that kind of person. So she wrote him a note.
When she got off of the elevator, she saw Joanna's eyes widen in shock as she saw the suitcases that Freddie was carrying. Sounding concerned, Joanna said, "Freddie? Where are you going?"
Freddie had washed her face, but she knew that her eyes were still puffy and red. She was certain that Joanna noticed. But she just couldn't explain. Instead, she handed Joanna the key to her rooms and the note she had written to King. Trying to control her voice, Freddie said, "I have to go now, Joanna. Thanks for everything." Then, not trusting herself to not burst into tears, Freddie grabbed her suitcases and her bouquet of roses and headed out the door of the motel.
Yeah, it was definitely a typical Monday.